A Researcher Is Interested In Studying The Effects Of Calori

A Researcher Is Interested In Studying The Effects Of Calories Consume

A researcher is interested in studying the effects of calories consumed on young people and old people. He recruits a group of 100 children from the local elementary school and tracks their progress in school. He also recruits a group of 100 elderly individuals from a local senior center. He matches each individual from the elderly group with an individual from the young group and compares the differences in calories between them, then averages those differences.

1) In the above scenario, what populations are being studied?

The populations being studied are children (young people) and elderly individuals (older people).

2) In the above scenario, what are the samples being used?

The samples are the specific groups of 100 children from the elementary school and 100 elderly individuals from the senior center that were selected for the study.

3) In the above scenario, what method of control is the experimenter using?

The experimenter uses matching as the method of control, pairing each elderly individual with a corresponding child to compare their calorie intake.

4) Is this a true experiment? Why or why not?

No, this is not a true experiment. It is an observational study because the researcher is not manipulating any variables; instead, he is comparing existing groups based on their calorie consumption.

5) What is the dependent variable in this scenario? Is it discrete or continuous?

The dependent variable is the effect being measured, which could include academic progress or other outcomes related to calorie intake. The calories consumed are a continuous variable because they can take on any value within a range.

6) Draw a line matching the type of measurement with its appropriate scale

• Age — Ratio
• Type of music — Nominal
• Yelp score — Ordinal
• Interval — Interval
• Dollars — Ratio

Paper For Above instruction

The study conducted by the researcher aims to explore the effects of calorie consumption across different age groups, specifically focusing on children and the elderly. Understanding these effects is vital in addressing nutritional needs and health outcomes pertinent to each demographic. The design and methodology of such a study involve several key components, including the populations under investigation, sampling procedures, control methods, the nature of the experiment, and the measurement of variables.

The populations in this study consist of two distinct groups: children, represented by 100 elementary school students, and elderly individuals, represented by 100 seniors from a local senior center. These populations are broad and define the scope of the research, which targets the impact of caloric intake on each age group's health or academic performance. The chosen samples are specific subsets—the 100 children and 100 elderly participants—selected for feasibility and manageability. These samples are intended to be representative of their respective populations, though the extent of representativeness depends on the sampling techniques used.

To control for confounding variables and ensure comparability, the researcher employs a matching method. Each elderly individual is paired with a child based on certain criteria, possibly including gender, health status, or other relevant factors. This matching process aims to reduce variability due to extraneous variables and isolate the effect of calorie intake on the outcomes of interest. Such control strategies are crucial in observational studies where random assignment is not implemented.

Regarding the nature of the experiment, this is classified as an observational study rather than a true experiment. A true experiment typically involves the manipulation of independent variables and random assignment to treatment conditions, which allows for causal inferences. In this scenario, the researcher does not manipulate caloric intake but rather observes and compares existing differences between groups, making it a correlational or observational study. The matching improves comparability but does not establish causality definitively.

The dependent variable in the study varies according to what outcome the researcher measures in relation to calories. For example, if the focus is on academic progress among children or health indicators among the elderly, these would constitute the dependent variables. Calories consumed, as an independent variable, is continuous because it can assume any value within a range, not limited to discrete categories. This characteristic allows for detailed analysis of the relationship between calorie intake and health or performance outcomes.

In terms of measurement scales, age is best measured on a ratio scale because it has a true zero point and equal intervals. The type of music, being categories without inherent order, is nominal. Yelp scores or ratings are ordinal because they reflect rankings without assuming equal intervals. The measurement scale for interval data is represented by temperature in Celsius or Fahrenheit, where intervals are equal but there is no true zero, although not directly relevant in this study. Dollars are ratio scale measurements because they have a meaningful zero point and equal intervals.

In summary, this research emphasizes the importance of understanding how caloric intake impacts different age groups. Proper sampling, control through matching, and appropriate measurement scales are integral to designing observational studies that seek to elucidate relationships rather than establish causality. While the findings can highlight associations, careful interpretation is necessary, especially considering the limitations inherent in non-experimental designs.

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